History Month

To say that Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander shattered multiple glass ceilings is an understatement. The Philadelphia native was the first Black person in the nation to earn a Ph.D. in economics in 1921. Three years later, she earned a law degree and went on to become the first Black woman to pass the Pennsylvania bar

Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011) was a New York City poet, activist, musician, social critic and spoken-word performer whose songs in the ‘70s helped lay the foundation for rap music. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably come across one of his poetic turns of phrase. Some have called Scott-Heron the “godfather of rap,” though he

Paul Robeson was a true Renaissance man – an athlete, actor, author, lawyer, singer and activist whose talent was undeniable and whose outspokenness almost killed his career. An All-American football star at Rutgers University, where he was class valedictorian, Robeson earned a law degree at Columbia and worked for a New York City law firm

Elegant, swinging, exuberant – it’s hard to find one word to describe the lush music of Gerald Wilson, one of the most important bandleaders in the history of jazz.

Although racism and fate kept him from the major leagues, Josh Gibson was one of the most dominant sluggers in baseball history.